Printing-press controller.



R. A. FREEMAN.

PRINTING PRESS CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 20. I908.

1 1%,289, Patented May16,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET lv ATTORNEY R. A. FREEMAN. PRINTING PRESS CONTROLLER. APPLICATION FILED APR. 20, 1908.

1,183,289. I Patented Mzmy16,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- R. A. FREEMAN.

PRINTING PRESS CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 201 1908.

Patented May16,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- i MENTOR ATTORNEY Warren snares PATENT o RUFUS A. FREEMAN, OF FLUSH ING, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE AUTOPRESS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PRINTING-PRESS CONTROLLER.

1 3 gg gggp Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 20, 1908. Serial No. 428,258. 7

.and more particularly to presses in which the running of the press is controlled by the sheet, although in certain of its features the invention is applicable to other pressesL Objects of the invention-are to provide for accurate and reliable control of the press by the fed-in sheets; to provide for such control in a press capable of running at very high speed; to provide devices for controlling the press by the sheet which are simple in construction and speedy and reliable in action; to provide simple and effective means for tripping the printing coule and to provide a sensitive and reliablecontrol-thereof by the fed-in sheets; to pro vide such means for throwing off the power;

to provide means having the same characterthe principles of the invention.

istics for effecting a braking action; to provide for the actuation of all these from the fed-in sheet, and to providefor their conjointactuation by the sheet.

These and other objects of invention will in part be obvious and will in part be setforth herein.

The invention consists in the novel parts, arrangements, improvements, and combinations herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and forming a part hereof, serve in connection with the description herewith to illustrate the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings: Figure l is a plan view of portions of a machine constructed in part in accordance with the principles of the invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail of certain parts on the line 33 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 is an elevation of'parts of a printing press constructed in part in accordance with Figs. 4 and 4* are views of portions of the mechanism shown in Fig. Hooking from the'right of that figure.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, by way of example, in the accom- Similarly, when moved in the opposite difth'e pillars 3 upward. In the positionj ll'ustrated in Fig. %l earn 5 has been turned panying drawings, the printing couple comprises a reciprocating bed and an oppositely reciprocating or traveling cylinder the latter of which members is indicated by the numeral 1. Means are provided in accord ance with'the invention for tripping one of saldmembers and with the particular form of printing couple referred to, said tripping means are constructed and arranged to cooperate with means for causing the members of the printing couple to travel in one dlrection with the impression on and in the other direction with the impression off. In the present embodiment, said parts are con strueted and arranged so that the cylinder is moved out of contact with the bed while the parts are traveling in one direction and 1s moved into contact therewith for the impression while they are traveling in the 0pposite direction. Any suitable or convenient means for effecting this movement may be employed, so far as regards many aspects of the invention, and in the present embodiment cylinder 1 is mounted in a frame carried upon the pillars 3 one pair at each side of the press. The pillars 3 are' shown provided with lifting springs 3*, housed in suitable casings formed integral with the main frame. These springs are arranged to hold up the pillars 3 and the impression cylinder therewith. The lower end of each pillar 3 is provided with a nut 7 which holds in place a cam 5 rotatably mounted on pillar 3 and provided with an arm 7. Above cam 5 and abutting against the spring casings to prevent upward movement, is a cam 4. Cams 4 and 5 are similar in construction, each being provided with a number of ridges 6 having one face perpendicular and the other beveled. Between these ridges are flat faces.- These ridges and faces form in effect a series of teeth. The cams 5 are rocked through the arms 7 in timed relation to the operation of the press and cooperated to pull the pillars 3 downward when the ridges are sliding on each other until the flat faces are opposite each other.

rection, the cam 5 is turned until the ridges come into contact, when the springs 3Fn1ove ntil the faces are in contact, so.;:tliat*gt lie; ars

3 have been drawn down. p

In the form illustrated, the arms 7 of cams are connected by a link 8 connected to a lever 9 which is reciprocated through a pin 11 on lever 9, engaging recess 12 in a link 10, which, in turn, is moved by a cam 13 driven by'a shaft suitably connected to the mechanism of the press. In the normal operation of the press and without the intervention of the mechanism about to be described, the cam 13 for each reciprocation of cylinder 1 would reciprocate the cams 5 once, thus first drawing down the cylinder and holding it down during a portion of its journey in one direction and permitting it to use andstayupfor the remainder of the cycle. g

It is desirable to provide means by which the cylinder is tripped or not brought into printing relation in the event no sheet is presented to cylinder 1. In the form illustrated, such a tripping means is provided, being sheet controlled in the manner to be hereinafter described. To enable this tripping mechanism to operate, there is pro vided a cam 15 rotating once for each cycle of the press and oscillating a bell crank 14,

a roller on which is under the link 10. The cam 15 and bell crank 14 are arranged so that the link is lifted to free the recess 12 from the pin 11 just before cam 13 starts to move link 10 to rock cams 5 to lower cylinder 1. The cam 15 holds link 10 up only for an instant and drops it before link 10 starts to move. Such action alone in no wise afiects the operation of the raising and lowering of the cylinder. If, however, no sheet has been presented to the cylinder, a shaft 18 is'oscillated at the instant link '10 is raised and/this causes a' hook lever 16 fastened thereto to swing so that its hook engages beneath a projection 17 on link 10.

This prevents the recess 12 from engaging the pin 1150 that, as the link 10 moves, it does not affect the cams 5, thus leaving the cylinder 1 up or. out of printing relation. The mechanism forrocking shaft 18 will be described hereinafter. The tripping arrangement so far described is much the same as that shown in the patent to Vierengle .No. 1,072,883. Suitable means are provided for presenting sheets to said couple and so far as concerns many features of the invention said sheet-feeding means may be of anydesired form.

In the, present embodiment automatic sheet-feeding means are shown suitable for receiving sheets from an automatic sheetseparator, preferably such as is disclosed in v my Patent No. 1,072,936, dated September 9,

1913. The illustrated form comprises travcling tapes 19 passing over rolls'at each.

end. Drop rollers 20 are also shown mounted upon arms 21 carried upon a shaft 22.

' -Fixed to the shaft 22 is shown an arm 23 in operative relation with a. cam 24 held to the amazes ation of said actuating means is controlled by the sheet which has been presented in position to be taken by the printing couple, the operation or non-operation of the tripping means being dependent upon whether the sheet is in position or not at the time the Y printing couple is ready to take the sheet. In the present embodiment said means comprises a member movable by the sheet to prevent the operation of the actuating means for the tripping mechanism and said member is further shown in this embodiment as movable by the sheet to engage the actuat ing member and hold it from its actuating movement.

While, so far as concerns certain features of the ,invention, the actuating means may be of any desired or convenient form, ac-

cording to other features of the invention, said actuating means comprises a member under impulsion to actuate the tripping means but intermittently restrained therefrom. by suitable means. In conjunction therewith there is provided a member movable by the sheet to control said impulsion member when it is not restrained by the restraining means. In the present embodiment also the restrainingmeans acts upon said actuating means while the sheet is being printed, but when a sheet is to be taken by the printing couple said actuating means are under the control of the-member movable by the sheet in position-to be taken by the printing couple, so that ih-case 'no sheet is in position at the proper time the press may be tripped. Theform of said actuating means comprised in the illustrated embodiment of the invention includes a springoperated member for'actuating the tripping means, said member being shown in the form of a slidable rod 30. In this embodiment said rod is further shown longitudinally slidable and is put under impulsion by a suitable spring, shown herein as a spring 31 coiled about said rod and acting between a collar 32 thereon and the press frame. An arm '33 is shown fast upon the shaft 18 andhaving its free end in operative relationwith'said ,rod 30. When said-rod is moved by its spring it rocks the arm 33 to operate the tripping mechanism. It will be understood that in the particular em-' memes tripping mechanism comprises the arm 33, rock shaft 18, and arm 16. The actuating means for the tripping mechanism comprises the spring-pressed rod 30.

The form of means for intermittently restraining the actuating means illustrated herewith comprises a lever 34 connected to ating means for the tripping means hereinbefore referred to comprises a member 37 movably mounted upon a suitable support. For convenience it is shown pivotally mounted upon the shaft 38 fcarrying the front guides 26. One end of the member 37 is shown arranged to be moved by a sheet at the front gages in position to be presented to the printing couple, thereby causingthe other end to engage a recess 40 in the rod 30. The rod is thus controlled as to its movement by the sheet actuated member, 37 and prevented from sliding with its spring when the restraining means comprising the lever 34 and cam 35, would permit of such movement. The cam 35 through its lever 34 holds the rod .30 against the action of the spring 31, so that the end of member 37 may be moved freely into the recess 40 when member 37- is tilted by a sheet under its, opposite end.

Suitable means'are provided for driving the printing couple which may be of any suitable and convenient form. The particular form thereof constitutes no part of the present invention, and neednot be described in detail. Suitable means are provided for disconnecting the driving means, and in connection with this embodiment single means are provided for actuating the tripping means for the printing couple and the disconnecting means for the driving power.

Connected with the driving means'is shown a clutch 41 and a 'clutch'shifting lever 42. When said lever is unrestrained it will disconnect the driving means from the printing couple. Suitable means are therefore provided for holding said lever to keep the clutch in the driving position or to release said lever to dis'connectthe driving means. The particular form of such means shown herein comprises a bent lever "43 having a hooked end 44 engaging with a hook 45 upon the lever 42. .The other end of the lever 43 is shown in operative relation with the end of the rod 30 so that when the rod 30 is permitted to slide with its spring 31 it will actuate both the arm 33 and lever 42, thus actuating both the tripping means and the means for disconnecting the power.

In certain of its features, the invention contemplates providing a brake and actuating means therefor and a member movable by the sheet to prevent operation of the brake actuating means. In this embodiment also a brake is provided actuated by the stored energy of the press. The brake controlling means is also shown in a form suitable for cooperating with the tripping means for the printing'couple. In the drawings herewith a brake shoe 46 is shown adapted to act upon the fly-wheel 47,

. said brake shoe 46 being mounted loosely upon a suitable support so as to be moved, toward and from said wheel. An arm 57 is shown constructed and arranged to somove the brake shoe 46. A device for regulating the pressure between the arm 57 and brake shoe may be provided, such as the adjusting screw 48 shown inFig. 4 6f the drawings. The arm 57 is shown fast upon the shaft 49 which also carries fixed thereto the arm 50. Connected pivotally with the free end of the arm 50 is a contact piece 51 having any suitable means to prevent it falling below the position shown in Fig. 4, such as' a toe 51 arranged to contact with arm 50. The piece 51 may be swung upward but cannot fall below the level shown in Fig. 4. Said parts are constructed and arranged so that in case the link 10 is retracted by the cam 13 while in the tripping position the lug 17 thereon will contact with the member 51 and the movejection 17 being under the piece 51 when cam 15 operates.

"The 1 operation of the herein-described mechanism is substantially as follows: The

bed andcylinder are operated in a suitable manner so that they travel back and forth, the cylinder at the same time rolling upon the bed to'jprint the sheet. The cam 13 in rotating reciprocates the link 10 and through the lever 9 and connections serves to intermittently rock the small cams 5 By the cooperation of cams4 and 5, together with theaction of springs 3 in the manner hereinbefore described, the pillars 3 will be raised and lowered, thus raising and lowering cylinder 1 and lower the pillars 3 thus raising and lowering the cylinder out of and into contact with the. bed so that they travel in one direction in contact to print the sheet and in the opposite direction out of contact, in a well known manner. The

bellcrank lever 14 is actuated-by the cam 15.

its movement. Normally the link is raised and dropped again with the recess 12 engaglng the pin 11. The hooked arm 16 'is normally in a position to permit the link as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. This movement of the rod serves to move the arm 33' and to rock the shaft '18. The

cam acting upon the lever 34 serves to put the spring 31 under tensionand to restrain the rod 30 from its actuating -movement while the lever 34 is riding upon the high part of the cam. This occurs while a sheet is being printed by the printing couple. As the printing couple is in position to take a new sheet the lever 34 ridesupon the low part of the cam 35 and would permit the rod 30 to slide with its sprin 31 to actuate the tripping mechanism. I however, a sheet is present at the front gages in position to be taken, the member 37. is swung upon its axis and its end en gages in the recess and holds therod 30 from its actuating movement. When the sheet is taken ofl by the printing couple the cam 35 has rotated so as to again restrain the member- 30 as hereinabove described. Incase, however, a sheet is not inposition to be taken by the cylinder 1 at the proper time, the member 37 is not moved and the ,rod 30 is free to slide when released by the cam 35 and to actuate the tripping mechanism. If the press should be tripped and stopped, upon its being started again the cam 35 will return the rod 30 againstits spring and thus put the spring under tenslon.

The operation of the power disconnecting means will be understood fro mthe foregoing description. It may be stated briefly, referring especially to Figs. 1, 3 and 4 of the drawings, thatthe rod 30 when permitted to slide rocks the lever 43 and releases the lever 42, which in turn disconnects the clutch 41.

The operation of the brake mechanism will likewise be understood from the foregoing description. -It has been stated that the engagement of the lug 17 -by'the arm 16 brings it in alinement with the contact piece 51, thus causing the link 10 and cam 13, acting. through the arms and 57 .to apply the brake 46. The link 10 is lifted when projection 17 isunder'piece 51 which is swung upwarduthereby, butas link 10 moves from beneath piece 51, the latter drops so as to be struck when projection 17 again moves to the left in Fig. 4.

It will be understood that, when the clutch 41 is disconnected, there will still be energy stored in the moving parts of the press, and particularly in the fly wheel 47. The

not limited to the particular constructions shown, nor to any particular constructions by which it has been or may be carried into I effect, as many changes may be made in the construction without departing from the main principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages. What I desire to claim as my invention, and to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A printing press including in combination, sheet-presenting means, a printing member, mechanism for trippmg said printing member, means for actuating said tripping mechanism, .a member extending 1nto the path of a sheet in the control of said presenting means and arranged to be operated by the sheet to render said actuating means inoperative, and mechanism forretaining said actuating means in its inoperative position while the sheet-operated memher is being operated.

2. A printing press including in combination, sheet-presenting means, a printing member, mechanism for tripping said printing member, means for actuating said tripping mechanism, a member extending into the path of a sheet in the control of said presenting means and arrangedto be operated by the sheet to engage said actuating means and hold it from its actuating movement, and mechanism for retaining said actuating means in its inoperative position while the sheet-operated member is being operated.

3. A printing'press including in combination, sheet-presenting means, a printing member, mechanism for tripping said printing member, a member movable to actuate said trlpplng mechanism, means for restrain ng said member from such movement ,while the sheet is being presented, and a member operated by the sheet to control the movable member when the said restraining means is inactive. I

4. A printing'press including in combination, sheet-presenting means, a printing member, mechanism for tripping said printing member, a member, under impulsion While the sheet is being presented, to actuate said tripping means, means for intermittently restraining said. member, and a member operated by the sheet to control the said impulsion member when the said restraining means is inactive.

5 A printing press including in combination, sheet-presenting means, a printing member, mechanism for tripping said printing'member, a memberfor actuating said tripping mechanism, a spring to move said member to cause it to actuatesaid mechanism, a member movable by the sheet tocontrol said actuating member, and means to prevent the operation of said spring while said movable member is moved by the sheet.

6. A printing press including in combination, sheet-presenting means, a printing member, mechanism for driving the press, means for tripping said printing member, a spring-operated member for actuating said tripping means, a cam timed with said driving mechanism for putting said spring under stress while the sheet is being presented, and means operated by the sheet to control {)he movement of said spring-operated mem- 7. A printing press including in combination, sheet-presenting means, a printing member, mechanism for driving the press,-

means for tripping said printing member, a slidable spring-operated member for operating said tripping means, a cam timed with the said driving mechanism for putting said spring understress while the sheet is being presented, and means operated by the sheet to engage the said slidable member to hold it against the pressure of the spring.

8. A printing press including in combination, sheet-presenting means, a printing member, driving mechanism for the press, means for tripping said printing member, a longitudinally slidable spring-pressed rod for actuating said tripping means, a cam connecting to the said driving means, connections between said slidable, rod and cam for sliding the rod against its spring and permitting it to slide with its spring, and a member movable by the sheet to prevent the rod sliding with its spring.

9. A printing press including in combination, sheet-presenting means, a printing member, means for driving the press, means for tripping said printing member, a longitudinally slidable spring-pressed rod for actuating said tripping means, a cam connecting to the said driving means, connections between said slidable rod and cam for sliding the rod against its spring and permitting it to slide with its spring, and a member operated by the sheet into engagement with said slidable rod to prevent the rod sliding with its spring.

10. A printing press including in combination, sheet-presenting means, a printing member, mechanism for driving the press, means for tripping said printing member, a brake for stopping the press, actuating means for said tripping means, means actuated by the stored-energy of the press to apply the brake, and a member movable by the sheet to control the said actuating means for the tripping means and brake.

11. A printing press including in combination, sheet-presenting means, a printing member, mechanism for driving the press, means for tripping said member, means for disconnecting said driving means, single means for actuating the tripping means andv the disconnecting means, means movable by the sheet to prevent the operation of said actuating means, and means for automatically restoring said actuating means to 0perative condition and for restraining said actuating means while said movable means is being moved by the sheet.

12. A printing press including in combination, sheet-presenting means, a printing member, means for tripping said member, actuating means for said tripping means, a member operable by the sheet from a position normally disengaged from said actuating means lnto engagement therewith to arrest movement of said actuating means, and means for restraining said actuating means while said movable member is moved by the sheet.

13. A printing press including in combination, sheet-presenting means, a printing member, means for tripping said member, actuating means for said tripping means, a member movable by the sheet into interlocking engagement with said actuating means to prevent movement thereof, and means for restraining said actuating means while said movable member is moved by the sheet.

14:. A printing press including in combination, sheet-presenting means, a printing member, tripping means for said member, means for actuating said tripping means, a trip-controlling member actuated by the sheet into cooperative engagement with said actuating means to stop said member while moving to a position to operate said tripping means, and means for restraining said actuating means while said movable member is moved by the sheet.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

. RUFUS A. FREEMAN.

Witnesses:

J OHN CONAHEY. 

